Airbus A350-1000 "on schedule" for late 2017 debut with Qatar
By David Flynn, October 6 2015
Airbus expects the first test flight of the A350-1000 by the end of 2016, with delivery to worldwide launch customer Qatar Airways the following year.
"The A350-1000 is progressing very well, everything is on track" says Marisa Lucas-Ugena, Airbus' Head of A350 Marketing, with handover of the first jet launch customer Qatar Airways "in the second half of 2017."
That plane will feature the Gulf airline's new 'business class bedroom', which Qatar CEO Akbar Al Baker touts as offering "a double bed at a business class fare."
A larger and longer-range sibling to the A350-900, the ‘dash 1000’ will seat an estimated 350 passengers in a standard three-class layout (assuming business class, premium economy and economy) compared to around 310 on the smaller A350-900.
The next-gen A350 family burns less fuel and produces fewer emissions than most current aircraft, with over two-thirds of the A350’s chassis cast from advanced materials including carbon-fibre composites, titanium and aluminium alloys.
More A350-900s taking wing
Finnair will take delivery of its first A350-900 this week, ahead of long-range international flights in late November to Shanghai, followed by Beijing, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore.
The Finnish flag-carrier will be the third airline to fly the A350, following Qatar Airways (below) and Vietnam Airlines.
Next on the dance card is Brazil’s TAM (part of the newly-branded LATAM Airlines) in December.
Singapore Airlines will kick off the new year with a new A350-900 in January 2016, with Cathay Pacific lined up for its first A350 flight in February 2016.
Cathay Pacific will use the A350’s debut to introduce new business class and premium economy seats, although the airline has ruled out adding new first class suites to its A350-1000s when they arrive from 2018.
Also read: Innovative Airbus A350 first class cabin concept revealed
David Flynn visited Toulouse as a guest of Airbus and Finnair.
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David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
14 Jan 2014
Total posts 341
Love flying the A350.. It's so comfortable
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
15 Mar 2015
Total posts 59
The J on Qatar A350 is awsome !
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 Feb 2015
Total posts 382
This is the aircraft Qantas should have ordered instead of B787
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
15 Dec 2014
Total posts 284
The A350 is sooo wide, fly it any day over the dreamliner
Qantas
13 Jun 2015
Total posts 141
The thing about the A350-1000 is that it has an 11-frame stretch over the -900 and faces a big competition with B777-300ER and B777-9 and eventually replace the aging A346 aircraft.
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